Game of thrones (HBO series) **spoilers galore**

[pocaracas]

I'm not going to hide anything for you who don't want any spoilers, the title should be enough!

Ok, there are already quite a few threads about this series, but, now with S04E04 - oathkeeper, some of the story is seemingly deviating considerably from the original material.


First, Bran was supposed to meet coldhands right after crossing the wall, but in the series no such thing happened. No coldhands, yet... In the books, we don't know who this coldhands is, but there's a hint that he may be Bran's uncle, Benjen Stark turned whitewalker... at least, he's wearing the black cloak of the night's watch.

Second, Jon Snow gets an arrow in his leg when escaping the wildlings... courtesy of his sweet-heart Ygritte. These wildlings then assault castle black, while Jon is still limping around leaving him restricted to fighting from afar, with arrows.
The series has just introduced the new Craster's keep story with the rebellious night's watch elements that killed Mormont... In the book, if I remember correctly, these were all taken care of by the whitewalkers, as Sam runs away with Gilly.
Anyway, the series introduced these guys and made Bran and the gang show up in there, too.
At the same time, a new male baby is born from one of Craster's wives and is presented to the whitewalkers...
We are then treated with some sort of whitewalker ritual that is completely absent from the books (at least up to book 5).
And Jon is seemingly OK, castle black hasn't been attacked, and Jon is going to Craster's to deal with the mutineers...

My guess is that the series is trying to introduce coldhands who will probably rescue Bran just in time for Jon to arrive there and find everyone cold and dead... or empty. It will also be a way to reunite him with Ghost.

What say you?

[Silver]

I skipped past reading what you typed because I have not yet started watching the new season.

[Napoléon]

I've not read any of the books so I'm glad it's deviating. Getting sick of people telling me how much better the books are and "omg that didn't happen in the books, the tv series sucks".

IMO a tv series should take on a life of its own, and not be shackled by the original source material. If something makes more sense to do in a series but not a book, so what? That's why you have the two mediums.


Oh, and I also didn't read half of the OP, I don't mind discussing what's gone on so far but if it's telling me what's gonna happen in future episodes, then damn you.

[pocaracas]

There was a warning of spoilers on the title!
I don't mind it deviating too... I mean there are things that only work with words, like when we have no idea who was the old knight that stands up to help Daenerys in Qarth... On tv, everyone immediately saw it was Selmy. In the story, we see it from Daenerys' POV and she doesn't know the man. Only a few chapters later do we learn the man's name and realize who he is.

Some things are well explained in the book... other things are deadly dull and, try as I might, I can't remember ever having read those parts... like where did Rickon Stark wonder off to?!

Also, I've finished reading them over a year ago, so my memory is waning...
Now I'm reading the comic books as well.... they do seem to follow the original story better than the series... they certainly show a lot more of Daenerys' skin!

[Silver]

There was a warning of spoilers on the title!

I know. I just felt like responding.

[Whateverist]

I read all the books the summer after the first season of series aired. My memory too is fading and I'm happy to be surprised occasionally.

Frankly I'm fine with weaving all the tales together simultaneously. When a couple of later books focused on specific regions I felt it was more for the writers ease than for the benefit of the story telling. What a shame that George M. seems to be burning out on that task.

[pocaracas]

I read all the books the summer after the first season of series aired. My memory too is fading and I'm happy to be surprised occasionally.

Frankly I'm fine with weaving all the tales together simultaneously. When a couple of later books focused on specific regions I felt it was more for the writers ease than for the benefit of the story telling. What a shame that George M. seems to be burning out on that task.

Yeah.. I didn't like that split too... Turned the fourth book into a long wait to find out about certain characters that only appeared on the fifth book.
I read somewhere that this was an editorial decision... The whole story was too long for one book, so they decided to split it... art. -.-'

Seeing the people and hearing the names does put the whole thing in a different perspective.
The sets are marvelous, the wardrobe fantastic and the props are first class!
And the linear timeline from an outside perspective is welcome... the books have that quality where each chapter is told from the perspective of a particular character, leaving us a bit blind to some motivations and information that an omniscient narrator would be privy to.

[downbeatplumb]

The books were fantastic but just when you thought they were getting somewhere a whole new plotline appears that seemed to almost reset the whole thing and they all end in ultimate cliff hangers.

After a while frustration sets in.

[Ryantology]

I've not read any of the books so I'm glad it's deviating. Getting sick of people telling me how much better the books are and "omg that didn't happen in the books, the tv series sucks".

IMO a tv series should take on a life of its own, and not be shackled by the original source material. If something makes more sense to do in a series but not a book, so what? That's why you have the two mediums.

I've read all five books and thoroughly scoured the wiki. I find the changes made to be kind of delightful, actually. Knowing everything that's going to happen isn't fun.

[pocaracas]

Turn out they missed the cold-hands train... I wonder if they're not going to introduce that character.
Looking forward for Tyrion's trial, now.